Mount Kinabalu Climb Report

Day 1
10.05 am
Arrived at KLIA LCCT. Both daddy and i were shocked to see how much further it actually was compared to KLIA. Called Mr Choi. Looked for them opposite McD's. Was just about to call them when this guy came up to me and said "Don't need. I know who you are". cool. I finally meet the Ben who did a full marathon under 3 hours. haha...

i met Mr Choi and Ben. One by one the others came. And i soon realised i was the only girl there. well, least there was another in KK. :)

2.00 pm
Met up with Ikan and Veronica at Sabah Airport. My stomach was rumbling like mad so i wasn't really concentrating on the introduction. All i heard was Veronica saying "Now, we'll take care of your stomachs first". Music to my ears.

We picked up Yeok at this backpackers' place. Glad to meet my other female comrade. And we adjourned to this chinese restaurant which sold lots of noodles and fish and odds and ends of beef. or something. no idea what i swallowed.

We shopped for some groceries at Tong Hing supermarket. Got myself a few more chocolate bars and biscuits.

Then we had a loooooooooong journey to Kinabalu Park.

6.30 pm
Arrived at Kinabalu Park. The lodges there took my breath away! They were beautiful! I spent a good few minutes going back n forth between the 2 lodghes reserved for us, deciding which to stay in. Since i barely knew any of them, i didnt have any preference as to which roommates i prefered. My only concern was staying with Yeok, who disappeared somewhere leaving her bags behind.

Mr Choi said his lodge had ample free space and with some simple mental math, i found that Yeok and I can both have a room each! how cool was that! I chose the room with a personal bathroom. :)

Dinner was at the resort's restaurant. The food took ages to come but the company i was with helped ease my hunger with good ol' humour. They're a funny bunch...:)

10.00 pm
Getting ready to sleep. Packed up for the next day and cleaned myself up. Ended up tossing and turning on my bed. Tried watching some TV but yet did not feel sleepy. Have no idea what time i dozed off in the end.

Day 2
6.00 am
After waking up every other hour, i finally decided to get out of bed. Hell, i wasnt even feeling tired. Might as well go out and inhale some mountain air. :) Had my breakfast in front of the mountains.

Went down to the reception at about 7.30-ish. After several photo sessions, we finally started our climb at 8.30 am.

8.45 am
Going up slow and steady. Didnt feel too bad. Sure my fellow comrades were making good time, but i felt good. :)

About 2-3 kms into the trail, I could feel my heart beat aloud. I was already panting and wasn't feeling so confident afterall. Anyhow, slowly but surely i tracked up with Biling by my side. I remember telling myself how we've got such a great mountain guide...

1.00 pm
I have not seen any of my group mates in a loooooong time. Waaay past lunchtime, yet the pits of my stomach were not at all hungry. In the place of hunger was mild nausea and discomfort. I thought i'd be famished by then, but i wasn't feeling too good. I took a bite of Eugene's protein bar and only minutes after, regreted it. My memory's a blur but somewhere along the way i reunited with some of them at this pondok, where Ben handed me an orange. I was feeling a bit better then so i downed the entire orange. Ben told me it was downhill from then on. I knew better than to believe him. He lied.

5.00 pm
It seemed like i was in the forest forever. My knees were wobbly and my chest ached. I had stitches in my sides and Biling wasn't looking too friendly. He kept urging me to go on whenever i stopped to rest. Saying i'll reach in a while. Amidst the trees i saw a tall gate and i felt a spark of hope.

To my disappointment, just around the bushes, i saw the sign Waras Hut. damn! that ain't Laban Rata! well, at least Laban Rata was jus around the corner.

Seeing it was euphoric. :)

5.45 pm
I clambered up the steps and joined the rest. They gave me thumbs up and other forms of encouragement but I just plomped down onto the chair. Ben got me a plate of fried rice, which i managed a spoonfull. My head was spinning so i went up to the dorm.

Eugene welcomed me warmly. Yi Xi didnt look any better than i did. I was just about to share my sob sob tale when suddenly everything came rushing up my throat. Ran into the nearest restroom and threw up really badly. It wasn't until these group of ang moh men came in (semi dressed, might i add) that i realised that i was in the gents. HELL i don't care. I apologized through my cupped hands. But they were very accomodating people and got me rolls and tissue. One of them said "you'd better go really really slowly up tomorrow. you've got altitude sickness". bleeeaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh....

7.10 pm
I tried having soup for dinner. Since everyone said i needed to eat something. But my RM9.50 cream of mushroom went to waste again. I could only manage 2 spoonfulls.

I threw up once again at about 10 pm. My head and neck were hot so i popped the 2 panadols that Ben gave me earlier. Pressed my eyelids hard willing myself to sleep, wishing everything would be fine by the time i wake up.

Day 3
2.00 am
You read it right. it was 2 in the morning and the corridors of Laban Rata were already bustling. I tore myself out of bed and changed into warm clothes. Got myself all ready and shared a toast with Yeok. I would say i was feeling very weak. and certainly did not feel like climbing. But Eugene made me go. Without him realising it. Whatever he told his son, i took it for myself as well. and i was game.

Biling wasn't too confident. But i persisted.

4.00 am
Somewhere on the rocks, i was feeling very very faint. I had already thrown up once and wasn't feeling very confident. Biling had a strong grip on my hand but i was slipping. I was losing my balance with every step i took. I wasn't walking straight. I was tipsy. I tried sounding myself in my head, saying that i'll never forgive myself if i don't make it. i can imagine my dad's voice, "Daddy mummy also can, why you cannot?". I had to reach the peak. I really had to.

I wanted to bring myself up the rocks but Biling didn't let go. which was a good thing. I struggled up, huffing and puffing like a goldfish. For some reason daddy and mummy's framed up certs came to my mind. And i remember wanting to have my certs there so badly!

After throwing up the second time somewhere near South Peak, i gave up. Yes i did. I figured i had already lost. I'm so much younger than my parents when they climbed, and with so much more running in my history, yet i was losing. I was suffering. I might as well give up.

6.30 am
Biling left me after South Peak. He had lost faith in me. He told me to wait for my friends to come down. I was all out of hope. I wanted to cry but even that i didn't have the strength to. My arms were shivering even when i tried to bring my bottle to my lips. I just felt defeated.

somewhere further up i heard Ben and Yeok shouting to me. I knew it was them from the voice, but i couldnt see clearly. Neither could i make out what they were saying. I dismissed it with a wave, thinking whatever it was i wasn't up to it. i just wanted to sit down there and breathe. that's right. Breathe. Coz it seemed like i hadn't in quite some time. Ben kept calling, and my mind kept switching back and forth decidng to go on or not to go on.

I gave up deciding and willed myself to stand up. It was HARD. I fell back down after a couple of steps. These group of ang mohs again, (not too sure if it's the same ones) tried to talk to me. They asked me where my guide was, and in between gasps i said that he told me not to go on. So the ang moh said that i had better listen to him. Told me to rest for at least an hour. i was thinking in this cold? are you crazy?!

Anyway, Ben came to me since i was obviously not going to him. He gave me his windbreaker, propped me up and urged me to go on. He had his various tactics including conning me, showing me things which did not exist and all sorts. It worked wonders, I walked step by step and gasped for air every 10 steps. Met the rest and got myself another windbreaker from Yeok. I was a walking igloo. I crouched at the side while Ben, William and Sean started stripping. don't ask.

More vomiting. More "i can't do it alreadyla"s. and more "come on! going to reach already! see the stick there?"

Eugene and son came from behind at one point and saw how depressing i looked. He kept saying i looked very very pale and started lecturing me and Ben about not counting and letting me make my own decision or something. I wasn't really catching on but i nodded without realising that i had just agreed to decide on reaching the peak.

I struggled on with Ben alongside. It seemed like just minutes later when Eugene and Yi Xi came down from the peak and are now headed down. Eugene commented i've got colour in my face now and gave me lots of encouraging words. To which i regret saying i wasn't paying attention either.

7.30 am
The sight of Low's Peak was the best sight i've ever seen. Not only because it was the end of my horrendous nightmare. It was just so so scenic. Like it was extracted right out of a movie. I kept saying it looked like the Lord of the Rings. with all the midst surrounding the peaks.

I am forever in debt to Ben for bringing me up there. I seriously couldn't, wouldn't and shouldn't have done it without him.